Jarrett William Brown, 17, of Fuquay-Varina, made two dozen pipe bombs, investigators said.
Authorities found six copper pipe bombs in Brown's car, which was stopped Aug. 9 in Apex after reports someone fled the scene of an accident. Police later discovered 18 other devices or components in his home, according to court documents.
The discovery led to evacuations of several homes and businesses. Brown at the time said he didn't intend to harm anyone with the explosives.
``He has acted very foolishly, but he's 17 years old,'' Raleigh lawyer Vaughan S. Winborne Jr. said Thursday.
Wake District Court Judge Robert Rader sentenced Brown to 75 days in jail suspended upon 30 months of supervised probation. To avoid serving the jail time, Brown will have to complete 50 hours of community service, submit to warrantless searches and not possess any explosive devices.
Brown spent 22 days in jail on 24 felony counts of possessing weapons of mass destruction before being released to house arrest. As part of a negotiated deal, prosecutors dismissed the felony charges in exchange for the misdemeanor plea.
Brown, a Boy Scout, honor roll student and rising senior at Apex High School who scored 1460 on the PSAT, missed the fall semester. His family is working with school officials to get him readmitted.
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
